Why not let Darwin take care of unhealthy fat people
I’m opposed to any proposed ‘fat taxes‘:
A 17.5% rise on fatty, sugary or salty food would cut heart and stroke deaths by 1.7%, the study in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health said.
As mentioned in the article, subsidies on healthy food might be the way to go. I think one should also start charging for health services (God forbid one should have to PAY for seeing the doctor in the UK, I know I’m speaking the words of the devil), I think those who choose to eat unhealthily and put their lives at risk should assume responsibility for their actions.
It’s unlikely that the government will be fining those who eat crap food in order to manipulate their behaviour, and as smokers know, even if taxes on their beloved products go up, they just pay more for it. Taxing fatty foods will give them a sheen (oily?) of illicitness, and since they taste good, people will keep eating them. When looking at family and personal medical histories, I think the NHS will be able to determine whose lifestyle choices have had a direct effect on their state of health, and they can be charged accordingly.
And that is definitely not a nanny-state proposal. Business, lah.
In tax
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Here in the US unhealthy food is actually subsidized, via massive government support for grain production. In poor neighborhoods it’s hard to find fresh produce… but cheap junk food is everywhere.
And I also read last week that they compared the diets of wealthy and poorer communities, and there wasn’t much difference — all our diets are shite.
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